So it looks like I took a goodly amount of time off, not only from work, but from blogging. I buried myself in holiday celebrational activities like eating and visiting with relatives and playing games and programming at 3pm in nothing but a bathrobe. The highlight of all this fun?

I put a ball and chain on layaway.

That’s right, I’ve become engaged to the lovely and oh-so-talented Elz. It’s looking like a long and entertaining engagement what with all the hurdles (legal and otherwise) that must be overcome but I wanted to make my intentions known to her and the rest of the world. She’s a wonderful lady and a delicate flower (not) who shares many of my interests and accommodates many of my idiosyncrasies with aplomb.

There’s really naught else to discuss. My other happy gift is a USB-enabled turntable. I’ve been ripping vinyl for some time and am considering putting some of the more esoteric stuff up on my home server for downloady goodness. Lots of jazz lately but I am hoping to stop doing piecework shortly and just start the A-Z rip of my 13 shelves of vinyl. This project will probably take years, but what’s a good project without long-term commitments?